Rail joint bar



G. LANGFORD RAIL JOINT BAR Filed April 25, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet l EQ'QJV July 14, 1931.. G, LANGFORD RAIL JOINT BAR FiledApril 25, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 xlllulm -/Qcz July 14,1931. A Q ANGFORD. 1,814,835

RAIL JOINT BAR Filed April 25. 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 E ad' Patented `1931 Application led Apr-i1 25,

and more particularly-to bars specially adapted `for use with worn rail ends.

`In c onsidering'thevbars of my invention, it

isvn'ecessary to distingnishfbetween theactu'al {he'i-ght of the barand the fishing h eight thereof. The fishing height of a bar 1s determined by the shing height of vthe rall `and the draw space.

'fthe rail is the vertical distance between the points of intersection of the planes of the railj TheI fishing height of shing surfaces' with the vertical axis of the '1y-rule, the draw space at the Bange OrOQt p0rl"tion of the bar is greater than thedraww :space V- jnt the headof the bar and, as the minimum i draw spaceoniy is considered, the head draw space of the-bar and the fishing heightjof: the rail determines the fishing height ofthe L bar,

- In former years a drawspace of one-ei hth .fof en inch was considered suicient. II the fishing heightl of thelrail be taken'asthree and one-quarter inches, theshing helght of i I the'bar-Would he deined as three land onei !qnarter inches Withone-eighthinch draw -space Thetendency, in later years, has been l-ior increased drawspace, the present draw' `space being three-sixteenths of 'an inch end,

' har.

i 'vin sonic instances, greater.` With this increased draw space rthefactuai height ofthe 1 bar is increased, butthefishing height or the. bar is dciined as before', that is, the liishing height of the rail With a draw spiace of threesixteenths of an inch. H the i'ishing height of the railbe .takenas three. and one-quarter inches, as before, lthe i'ishing height of the bar, under present practice, is three and onequarter inchesvbnt. ,with a draw space of 'threeesiiiteenths loit an inch insteadof but one-eighth of nnnch, es nnder the oid pracgjtice. rThis is lthe accepted standard fordetermining the ishingheight of e rail joint n accordancewith this standard, if a template oie rail section is applied to a b ar at different points spacedapart lengthwise thereof, and thedrew space is the saine in BA-IL JOINT BAB 1 93o. serial no. 447,122.

each-instance, such ybar is of uniform vfishing height.

maroni), oF; JOLIET, ILLINOIS, AssIGNoR To MCKENNA rnocEss o oMPANY' [on ILnIn'ois, or 10mm, ILLINOIS, n CORPORATION or ILLINOIS .A rail `joint pf. ordinary construction comprises the rail 'endsfand joint bars secured thereto at o positel sidesthereof, -by lnean's ofbolts passing through the'bars and the ,rail

web. Theseb'arsare straight'lateraliy and have fishing contact'w-ith the". heafd andthe ange of the rail, ends, the'iishing surfaces of.

the heads and the liangesy of the bars being 0f .uniform Width. In such a joint Wear oc` shortV bar, or the center one-fourth of the bar ,in a long bar. i A short bar is epproximatelytWenty-our-,inches in enlgth and a in. I 'el'igihil vThis center-Wear of the' jomt is -chera'cteristicfof rail joints Iof presentconcursv at the center one-third of the bar, inaJ rail; The iishing heightofthe'bar isk deter--I v""m'inedby the relation between the fishing height ofthe rail and thedraw space. Asa u ylong lbar `maybe' thirty-su: .inches or greater ofthe joint.'`v When ,the b arsfnreinitially apphedin the joint, ,therev is drew-space between the head vand foot ofhthe b ar end' the 'web of the rail. As. Wear progresses, the

bars are drawn inwardly tothe rails, 'by' bolt tension, to take up Wear. Since theweai 1s at the center of the joint, and little, er nov Wear occurs at the endsgof Athe-joint the end portionsof the bar resist inward movement thereof to the rail rendering it dinicneand 1n s nrne ceses impossible, to .maintein tight iis-hing oontactat the, center of the'jon-t,

'fter Athe draw space been used en, er `the joint becomes bjectienably ieee-e et the center portion. thereof, the 'bars here to' be removed end replaced by new or nnelern'hersr yThis raises the dicnity of obteiningtight center contect'between the bars and the rail ends, due to the Wear which has occnrred et the head and ange of the` reil.

it is known to provide bars herring ini.

creased fishing height at thecenter portion lthereof, known as crowned hars,v ortting tojworn rail ends. These, bars here fishing i surfaces of uniform `Width and, when ap` plied 1n a joint, the crowned centraal portion ofthe bar ts into the Worn vportions of the rail ends. 1in some instances, the: end orv ie tions of the harare fiexed inwardiyhy olt T c tension so that the center .portionef'the bar may; 1

v .the centerportion is greater than at' the end i tions to the-crowned bar land the incurvedy portions, which renders it diicult tomain tain the joint tight at the center and neces sitates increased crowning of the bars which `maybe applied to the rails after the crowned 'bars iirst ap lied have worn out.

` ,It is also own to provide bars of abnormal fishing height, such'bars being curved inwardly lengthwise thereof and throughout their entire section, the head, the web and theflange of the bar having the same degree of curvature. .Such a bar is known as a curved bar. 'A bar (if this type is ob jectionahle in that the head projects outwardly beyond the rail head, at the endsof the bar, and the ends of the bar head are struck by the flan es of the wheel traveling upcn the t'rack. further objection to the incurved bar is that the spike slots are dis-` posedv outwardly'beyond the rail iian e so that the spikes do not contact the rail ange for maintaining the gauge ofthe track.

An additional objection to the incurved bar is that the head` and the fiange of the bar have the same degreeof inward curvature so that the difference in wear between the head and the fiange of the rail, is not accommodated. j

I have found that the/above noted objecbar can be avoided by providing a bar havmi the outer side ofthe head and the flange su stantially-without concave incurvature,

and the inner side vof the head or the iange.

curved inwardly to a degree corresponding to the degree of wear of th rail ends to which the bar is to be applied. l This bar is subject to certain variations. In one form of my invention both the head and the iange of the bar may be curved inwardly, the outer sides of these elements being* without concave incurvature, and the inward curvature thereof being of `diierentdegree to conipensate for the difference inlwear between the head and the flange of therail. Such a bar is adapted for usevwith moderately to badly worn rail en'ds. In another form of my bar, 'adapted for use with unworn to slightly worn rail ends, the head element only of; the bar may be curved inwardly on Vits inner face, the flange element being uncurved on its inner and outer faces.` In .cases where the rail ends are extremely worn, both the head and the iange of the 'bar may be curved inwardl on their inner faces and, in addition to t i s inward curvin eithenthe head or the an'ge fishing sur ace; or` both, may be crowned. Further objects and advantagesl of my invention will appear from the detailed description.

In the drawings; Figurel is a side view ofa rail jointof ordinary construction, the bar being shown invention as a fiat strap, illustrating the center wear of the joint; y Figure 2 is an of known, type applied to a worn railend' Figure 3 is an end view of a curved bar. ci knownl vtype applied to' a worn rail end; Figui'el is a plan .view of the-*curved bar of Flgure 3; e

Figure 5 is an outer bar of Figure '8; Figure 6 is a of Figure 2;

side view o'f the curved Figure 7 is an outer side view-.ofhthe j crowned bar of Figure 2,'this view beingl being shown' asadiagrammatic and the bar viiat strap;

Figure 8 is a plan view of a bar illustratingrvhow the bar of my invention may bev end` View vof aj 'crowned' bar 75` plan view of the 'crowned bar produced from a curved bar similar to that v of Figure y3, the bar` being shown diagramL matically and as a' flat strap; y f

Figure 9 is an end view','on arr enlarged scale, of the bar of FigurecS;

Figure 10 is an inner side view lof the bar l Figure 12 is afplanl view of a bar, the bar being shown 'diagrammatically and as a fiat' strap, illustrating how the bar of myinve`n`j i tion mapbe produced from a bar similarfto that of igure 2;

` f Figure 13 'is an end view of thebar of Fig.-v l ure 12; f

Fi re 14 is an inner` side vView of the bar of Figure 12;

Figure 15 isan-outer side view of the bar,

of Figure 12;

Figure 16 is an outer side view of a bar in accordance with the preferred form of my invention;

Figure 17 is a top plan view of the bar of Figure 16;

ig'ure 18 is an underneath iiange view of another form of bar in accordance with my ,Figure 19`is a plan view of another form of bain accordance with my invention;

y1 of Flgguure 19;?, Figure 2.1 is other form of bar'in accordance with my in- Yventionf; ,i

Figure 22 is aplan view of the Vbar of Fig'- ure21;` 'i v Figure 23 is an endfvie'w `Tof the bar of Figures 16 and 17 asappliedto a rail end; s

Figure -24 is an endview of the rbar of Figure 18 as applied to a rail end; and

' Figure 25 is an end view of the bar of Fig# ures 21 and 22 applied to a rail end.

re 20 is an inner side view-of the bar In the drawlngs, the lines deiining the variousy elements and the fishing surfaces of the bars are designatedby letters, exce t in such cases where these lines are number-e the release y same letters designating corresponding lines and points in the different figures of the drawings, to facilitate an understanding of my invention and its relation to bars .of known types. More specifically, in Figures 2 and 3, I have indicated by letters the ditlferent points of the elements of the bars, and in the succeeding figures of the drawings these same letters are applied to corresponding points of the bars illustrated, wherever such points occur. The significance of the reference letters will be apparent from the `drawings and it is not thought necessary to describe in greater detail the application of such reference lletters. f

In order to obtain a clearunderstan'ding of the construction of the bar of my invention, it is necessary to considerthecrowned bar and the incurred bar of the prior art, above referredto.- Thecurved bar of the prior art is shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5. This bar is of uniform fishing height and curved inwardly throughout its entire cross section, both the head and the flange of' the bar, as well as the web thereofv being thus curved. If'this bar be considered as a flat strap, as in Figure 8, the outer face ofsuch a bar can Ahave its concave curvature removed by removing asegment from the outer portion of thebar at'each end thereof, as indicated by the shaded segments 1--2`3. ',lheiresulting bar .would then have its outer concave curvature removed and would retain an inwardly curvedinner face. The desired results can be accomplished, however, by rerum/ing a segmentfat each outer corner of the bar instead of removing a segment from each end of the bar and extending the full height thereof,.and this I do in the fbaroi Figure 8. Referringto Figure 9, the

fishing surfaces of the-bar areiiiclined oppositely for contact with the fishing surfaces of the rail ends: Due to -this inclination of the fishing surfaces, the removal of the segments from the outer fishing corners at'the end por` tions of the bar results in lower-ing the ends of the outer edge of the upper'lishing surface and raising the ends ofthe outer edgerof the lower fishing surfaces() that'this bar, when viewed from the outer side has its outer iishing lines similar to those of a crowned bar, as in Figure 11, and when viewed from the inner side has its inner fishing lines straight or uncrowned as in the ordinary incurved bar. A fishing surface of the resulting bar, therefore,

has a crowned outer line without concave incurvature' and' an uncrowned inner line curved inwardly.

The bar ofmy invention illustrated in Figures 16, 17 and 23 embodies the broad teaching of. Figures 8 to 11 applied to the head of the bar. Bar 5 of Figures 16, 17 and 23 is an angle bar and comprises head 6, web 7 and flange 8. In this bar the outer and the inner sides of the web and the flange are not curved C5 Finwardly, the outer side of the head is not curved' inwardly and the inner face of the head is curved inwardly.

In such a bar, the' width of the head fishing surface decreases from the-center portion of the bar to the end thereof. Preferably this decrease in width of the end portions of the head bearingsurface is such as to assure more uniform rate of wearof the fishing surface throughout the length of the' bar. This the same results,- as to fitting the bar to the Y rail, as is obtained byusiiig'the crowned bar of ordinary, types, n addition to this, vthe reductionl in width ofthe end portions of the hea-d fishing surface results in 'more uniform rate of wear of the bar, which is notl possible with the` ordinary crowned bar in which the fishing surface is of uniform width. It is pointedout, however, that the bar of Figures .16, 17 and 23 is not a crowned bar, but is a bar of uniform fishing height. The distinguishfing feature of; the crowned bar .is thatit is of greater fishing height at its center portion `than 'atfits end portions. Referring to Figure 17, if a; template T, corresponding .to the section of rail9, be -appliedftothey barat the center and the end portions thereof, it will be found that the draw space S is the same in each instance. The bar is', therefore, of uniform fishing height. In this bai` the head only is incurved on its inner face,'asv

above noted, such a' bar being` particularly adapted for use in rail ends which are either unworn or but slightly worn.

Since/the outer sides`of the head and the fiange of the'bar 5 are both straight lengthwise of the bar, the ends-of the head do, not project outwardly beyond the rail head.

Furthermore, the spike slots 1() in theiiange are -so ,disposed that vthe spikes will 'contactr the flange of therail to' maintain the gauge pf the track. In the curved bar of the'prir art, illustrated in Figure 3., the ends of the head at the top project outwardly beyond the head of rail 9 to/an objectionable extent, as at 11, and are apt to `be struck by` the wheel fianges. Furthermore, ,the spike slots 12 are l spaced a considerable distance away from the edge of the fiange of the rail. It will thus be seen that, by constructing my bar in the manner illustrated and described, I produce a bar dissimilar to either the ordinary crowned bar or the incurved bar, although my bar will fit accurately into the worn railyends so as to provide a tight joint,` and will provide more uniform fishing wearso as to maintain the joint greater than the degree of curvature inwardly of the inner side of the fiange. This produces, in effect, a different amount of crowning on the head than on the fiange, thus compensating for the difference in .wear at .the head of the rail and atl the flange thereof.

Itis pointed out, however, that this baris not a crowned bar, but is of uniform' fishing height in the same manner as the bar of Figure 17hi i While I preferably make the bars of Figures 16 and 18 as new bars, it is possible to produce such bars by reforming from curved bars of ordinary type, as indicated in Figures 8 t0 11. It is also possible to produce bars in accordancewvith my'invention from crowned bars of ordinary type. In Figure 12 I have illustrated, in. plan view, the crowned bar of Figure 2, this bar being shown as a flat,Y strap. The inner and outer sides of this bar are both straight' lengthwise of-the` bar.

If segments 13-14-15 beremoved from thel i -inne'r face of each end portion of bar 16, the

inner facev of this bar will be curved inwardly .and the outer face thereof will be straight ure 13, and the segments 13-14--15 are of such amount, that the line 11k-15 is disposed in the plane of the line defining the inner edge of the central'portion of the shing surface. The line 14-15-15-14 defining the inner edge of each fishing Surface of the bar of Figure 14 then become uncrowned and the outer edge of each fishing surface .retains lts crowned outline though .the bar is, in fact, not a crowned bar but abar of uniform fishing type. A bar thus producedl would be incurved at the head and .theflnge or foot porytions. on their inner faces,v but their outer faces would be straight lengthwise of the bar.

In Figures 19 and 20 I vhave illustrated a bar 17 which, for urposes of illustration, may be consideredp as produced from a crowned bar of ordinary type in the manner illustrated in Figures 12 to 15, the changes being made in the head only. Referring to Figure 19, the bar 17 is of angle cross sec tion and the head 18 thereof has its inner face curved inwardly with the end portions 19a of the head fishing decreasing in width from the center portion 19 of such fishing-surface to the ends 1of the bar. The outer side of the head 18 is straight lengthwise of the bar, as

Leraess worn rail end. 'The head 23 is crowned at its center portion, at 24, the flange 25 being similarly although less crowned at 26. The inner face of the head 23 is curved inwardly, and 'the inner face of the fiange also iscurved inwardly, the web having no incurvature. The outer sides of the head, the web and the flange, are not curved inwardly as in the ordinary incurved bar. By thus combining the inward curvature of the inner sides ofthe head and flange elements, and they crowning of such elements, the bar 22 is well adapted for use with badly worn rails. Referring more particularly to Figure 22, it will be noted that the degree of inward curvature of the inner side `offlange 25 is less than the degree of curvature of the inner side of head 23;n This difference in curvature of the head and` flange compensates for difference in wear of the head and flange of the rail. The bar of Figures 21, 22 and 25 is not of uniform Afishing height, due to the crowning or .in-

i crease in fishing height at the center portion off the bar. This bar, viewed from the inner side, has the inner edges of both its head4 and its flange. fishing surfaces conveXed vertically, and the outer edges 0f such surfaces are also convexed vertically and to a greater extent than the inner edges thereof.

The bar of my invention may be crowned, or it may be of either normal or abnormal fishing height. My invention, however, is

vso

mainly directed to a bar-ofuniform fishing height throughoutv its length and providing top and bottom fishing contact at the central and the end portions of the bar. In my' bar either the head or the foot, or both, have their inner faces incurved and' their outer faces without concave incurvature, the web having" no curvature oneither its inner facey or its outer face. rlhe degree. of incurvature or convexity ofthe inner face of the head may differ from that of `theflan e or foot. The head member or thefootmem erhaving an incurved inner face is thicker horizontally at the center thereof than at the ends., and in all cases a member having an incurved inner face has its fishing surface wider atithe center andgradually narrowing to less width at the ends. .A fishing surface may be narrowed at the ends by incurvature of the inner face of the fishing bearing member, or by beveling off the outer corners, or by both. My invention further provides for i elements being provided with fishin the reduction of concave incurvature on the element curved inwardly thereby reducing outer face of a fishing bearing member, and a reduction of end fishing width, by removing outer segments from the end portions of-an ordinary incurved bar, or by removing inner segments from the end portions of an ordinary uncurvedcrowned bar, such removal of segments resulting in a narrowing of one or. both' fishing surfaces at the end portions of the bar.

What I claini is:

l. A rail joint bar having a head element and a foot element provided with fishing surfaces adapted for both centerv and end fishing contact with the rail ends when the bar is applied in a joint, the outer sideof the bar being substantially straight laterally and the inner sideiof the respective elements being curved inwardly-and lengthwiseV of the barV when the bar is out of a joint and free from 'lateral tension, said elements having different degrees of inward curvature.

2. A rail joint bar comprising a head element, a flange element and a connecting web, said bar being adapted for both -center and end fishing contact with the rail ends when applied in a joint, `the outer faces f the web A and said elements being without incurvature and the inner'sidesof both of said elements being curved inwardly lengthwisel of the bar and having differentn degrees of curvature when the bar is out lof a joint and free from lateral tension, said elements and their fishing surfaces being of-less widthat the end portions than at the center portions thereof.

3. A rail joint bar comprising a head element, a fiange element and a connecting web, said bar being of uniform and abnormal fishing height and adapted for both center and end fishing Contact with worn rail ends when applied in a joint, one only of-said elements being curved inwardly, said element `and the fishing surface v thereof decreasing in width from the centerportion of the bar toward the ends thereof. v

4. A rail joint bar having 'a head element and a foot element anda connecting web, `said surfaces adapted for both center and end Shing Contact with the rail ends when the bar is applied in a joint, the outer-'faces of the bar, including the web, being substantially without incurvature and the inner side of the vhead and the foot element being curved inwardly, said elements having diEerent degrees of inward curvature and the central portions of the fishing surfaces of said elements being o; greater width than the end portions thereo 5. A rail joint bar having a head element and a foot element adapted for both center fand end fishing contact with the rail ends when the bar is applied in a joint, said bar having the outer s1 e of one of said elements without incurvature andthe inner side of said the thickness and width of the fishing surfaces of such element at its end portions relative to-its central portion, the other one of said elements being without incurvature and being of uniform thickness and width of fishing surface.

6. A rail, joint bar having a head element and a foot element and a connectingweb, said elements being provided with fishing surfaces for both center and. end fishing contact with the rail ends when the bar is applied in a joint, the outer faces of the bar, including the y.

web, being substantially without incurvature, and the inner side of the head and the foot ele'- ment being curved inwardly, the inner side 'of the web being vsubstantially without in- )and a Vfoot element .and a connecting web,

said elements being provided withr fishing surfaces for both center and end fishing contact with the raill ends when the bar isv applied in a joint, the outer'facesof the bar, including the web being substantially without incurvature, and one at least ofl said elements v having its inner side curved inwardly, the inner side of the web being substantially without incurvature, and the central portion of the fishing surface of said element with its inner side (curved inwardly being of greater i Width than the end portion.

In witness whereof, I hereunto-subscribe my name this 22nd day of April', 1930.

GEORGE LANGFORD. 

